2005 Domaine Bertagna Vougeot Les Cras Blanc

Domaine Bertagna is a 52-acre estate in the Cotes de Nuits. It was established in the 1950s by Claude Bertagna but since 1982 it has been owned by the Gunther Reh family, a German family of wine entrepreneurs and estate owners. Today the estate produces wine from 18 appellations, including five Grand Crus. The domain itself is in Vougeot. It has Grand Cru parcels in Clos Saint-Denis, Clos de Vougeot, Corton-Charlemagne, Corton Les Grandes Lolieres, and Chambertin. There are also numerous Premier Crus, including the monopole Clos de la Perriere in Vougeot.

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.